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NIGHT FANG PACK.

LYRA'S POV.

The laundry room buzzed with chatter as I carefully ironed Aurelia’s dress. One tiny mistake was all it took to earn a slap. Tonight, of all nights, I couldn’t afford one.

"I heard the King’s curse has gotten even worse," one of the omegas whispered, so quietly it was almost as though she feared the King himself might hear her. "Who do you think will turn out to be his fated mate? Lady Aurelia… or Lady Alma?"

"I believe it’ll be Lady Aurelia,” another omega murmured. “She’s fierce. A fitting match for someone like the King."

"What if the Moon Goddess surprises us all?" my best friend, Elektra casually asked. "What if it turns out to be Lyra?"

Silence settled over the room as the other omegas exchanged uneasy glances.

Of course they did. I was nobody.

Aurelia and Alma were my sisters. Well… Stepsisters.

But all my life, they never felt like family. They hated my very existence and were dedicated to making my life a living hell.

I was Alpha Garrett Blackthorne’s illegitimate daughter, the product of his infidelity. Yet despite carrying his blood, I had inherited my dead mother’s rank instead of his strength. I was an omega.

"You don’t have to mock me, Elektra," I muttered. The thought alone sent a chill through me.

A man as ruthless as Alpha King Kendrick…

I doubted I’d survive a single day in his presence.

"You know I’m not mocking you, Lyra. You’re a Blackthorne too."

She wasn’t wrong.

But I’d be a fool to believe I was destined for anything greater than being the shame of the Blackthorne name.

And an even bigger fool to believe the Moon Goddess would bind someone like me to Alpha King Kendrick. Even children who had never seen him knew to fear his name.

He was cursed.

A demon lived alongside his wolf, growing stronger and more feral with each passing year. Only his fated mate could balance both sides before the darkness consumed him completely.

But his mate had taken too long to appear.

Left with no other choice, the High Priestess sought the face of the Moon Goddess, and it was revealed that his mate would come from the Blackthorne bloodline.

Blackthorne women had always been known for their strength and the powerful abilities passed down through their bloodline. But I was the exception.

At twenty-two, I hadn’t experienced my first shift and that alone was shameful enough. It only gave my father one more reason to despise me.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize I’d left the iron on one spot for too long…

The sharp smell of burning fabric hit my nose and my heart dropped instantly.

I jerked the iron away, but it was already too late. A section of Aurelia's dress had been scorched through, leaving behind an ugly hole. My ears burned as fear filled me.

"Goddess!" Elektra gasped the moment she saw the damage.

The chatter in the laundry room died and within seconds, the room fell as silent as a graveyard.

I was doomed.

Just then, the one person I dreaded most stormed into the laundry room.

"Lyra!!" she yelled. "Why in the blasted moon is my dress not ready yet?!"

A defeaning silence followed as she drew closer, then looked down at the ruined dress.

She seemed to be in disbelief for long seconds, before a shrill scream was heard. What followed after was a hot slap that left my ears ringing.

The next few minutes passed in a blur of yells and curses, and by the time I realized what was happening, Aurelia had already dragged me out of the laundry room by my hair.

My heartbeat quickened when I heard my father and stepmother approaching.

"What is going on here?" Father demanded, his gaze shifting to Aurelia. "Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Lyra ruined my dress!" she cried. "She burnt it with the iron!"

"What?!" my stepmother, Larissa, barked.

The next thing I knew, her palm landed across my cheek.

"How dare you?!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry..." I cried, finally finding my voice. "It was a mistake."

"Lies!" Larissa spat. "You’re simply jealous because you could never be in my daughter’s shoes."

"The Alpha King will be here any minute!" Aurelia cried. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Father’s jaw tightened as he looked at me.

"You disgust me," he spat, and I shivered.

A fresh wave of self-pity washed over me, and my eyes burned with tears.

All my life, I had watched him shower my sisters with love. I used to pray that one day, he would look at me the same way. But I knew that day would never come.

"My dear," he said to Larissa, "take Aurelia with you and see if you can fix this mess." Then he turned to me, his eyes burning with anger.

"As for you…"

Before I knew it, he grabbed my hair and dragged me into the hallway.

"Since you crave so much attention, I’ll give you just that!" he spat as I stumbled after him, tears streaming down my face.

We left the servants’ quarters and headed straight for the great hall. I could hear laughter spilling from the hall, and my heart pounded with fear. Why was he taking me before the guests?

The moment we stepped inside, Father raised his voice, drawing everyone’s attention.

"While we await the King’s arrival, my bastard should entertain you all!" he announced.

I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, and I lowered my head in shame. Father motioned to the Deltas, and they hurried over at once.

"Strip her and tie her to the pillar," he ordered, pointing to the tall pillar at the center of the hall.

My eyes widened in fear.

"Father, please!" I begged, and his face darkened. I should have known better. Calling him Father only made him angrier.

As the Deltas dragged me away, I struggled against their hold, pleading with them to let me go.

Within seconds, I was stripped down to my chemise, as good as naked. The Deltas tied me to the pillar, and Father’s order came.

"Give her twenty strokes of the lash. Add one more each time she squirms."

My body went cold.

This wasn’t the first time I had been flogged, but who could ever get used to it?

Laughter echoed through the hall, and my heart squeezed.

No one cared. I was nothing more than tonight’s entertainment for these heartless nobles.

The first lash landed across my back and pain exploded through my body, stealing the air from my lungs.

Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, but I didn’t dare squirm. Another lash came, and I forced myself to endure it.

Then a third.

I bit down so hard on my lower lip that I tasted blood.

"Oh, she’s enduring this surprisingly well," one of the Lords remarked and my heart clenched.

They were all monsters. The noble borns only saw omegas as properties existing for their psychotic pleasures.

"Five silver coins, she squirms before the sixth," another Lord gambled.

"You’re being generous. My money’s on the fifth."

They were betting on my pains.

The exhaustion of the entire day finally caught up with me, and just as he predicted, I squirmed when the next lash landed.

"An extra one!" someone shouted, and laughter erupted around the hall.

"Please…" I whispered weakly, before yet another lash struck my back.

I couldn’t help it -- I squirmed again. My head pounded as tears blurred my vision.

Then so suddenly, the laughter died as a different energy swept through the hall.

"Enough!" a firm voice rang out and the crowd went completely silent.

The moment that voice echoed through the hall, something inside me stirred. For the first time, my wolf surged against my soul so violently.

‘Mate!’

The word echoed inside my mind just as every person in the hall dropped to one knee.